Dr. David Colby, the Chief Medical Officer of Health in Chatham-Kent, said he is trying to get the message out to not treat the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.
“We really would ask that people try and limit the number of people for Thanksgiving to your immediate family and household,” Dr. Colby said during a press conference held on Skype last week.
Dr. Colby said people from other jurisdictions, some of which are currently “high impacted areas” of COVID-19, would traditionally be coming to Chatham-Kent this upcoming weekend to visit family.
Dr. Colby said he is encouraging residents to “not serve buffet style meals” but instead to prepare the meals ahead of time and serve them on plates.
“Please consider having your meal outside,” Dr. Colby added.
“One of the things we have really learned, it’s much less hazardous to be outside than it is being inside.”
CK Public Health issued further tips on Monday, October 5, 2020.
“Thanksgiving may look different this year, but 2020 has given us many things to be thankful for,” CK Public Health officials posted on social media.
“Learning how to connect with each other in creative ways and showing our thanks during times of hardship have shown how resilient the community of Chatham-Kent truly is.”
CK Public Health also posted the following graphic:
As of Friday, October 2, 2020 there were three active cases of COVID-19 in Chatham-Kent and 369 total cases.
One person is currently hospitalized, CK Public Health officials say.
While the numbers in Chatham-Kent have not seen a recent spike, the overall numbers in Ontario have steadily increased.
This surge in cases prompted the Provincial Government to tighten public health measures across Ontario last week.
Targeted measures were also implemented in Ottawa, Peel, and Toronto as a result of their higher than average rates of transmission.
The Thanksgiving holiday is on Monday, October 12, 2020.
